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Other options in response to B&B request for deposit by "bank transfer"?

A B&B I'm trying to make a reservation at doesn't take credit cards and has asked for a deposit by bank transfer (wire transfer). My bank charges for the transfer - basically half of the amount I have to deposti!

Other than an international bank draft (which will take a while to get to the B&B), are there other options I could offer to the B&B owner?
Thanks!

Look into http://www.xe.com/fx/ which does require setting up an account with all the security and personal information of a bank account (somewhat unnerving), but I think that you will find the rates more reasonable.

Last time this happened to me I wrote to the B&B and explained that I lived in a country with an underdeveloped international banking system and so this idea, while sensible, would cost me 50% of their fees and could I pay them cash on the day.

They came back very positive and I paid cash on the day.

By the way this is not a slur on your country's banking system it just makes the B&B people feel sorry for you.

A bank transfer is no big deal in Europe, but can be a big deal in the States. So I agree w/ bilboburgler. Explain the problem to the owner and they will usually let you slide. I often suggest sending a US$ check they can hold until I arrive and then pay in cash. Sometimes they go for it, but usually they say "Oh that's OK, I didn't realize you are from the States. Just pay me when you get here."

Western Union may be a lot cheaper, and there are locations even the tiniest Italian towns.

I was asked to do the same for a booking last fall. In the end, I did not have to send anything, because when I explained the costs of making the transfer to the owner of the agriturismo, she held the rooms without a deposit.

I prefer to send a check that is held until arrival. Then we pay cash. However, if that is not acceptable, you might ask about Paypal. I sent two deposits for fall through Paypal, and the cost was a few cents. Certainly a whole lot cheaper than a bank transfer.

Well, one of the reasons I used to deal with PayPal for rentals was that I wouldn't have accepted any of the options people are suggesting.

French people, for instance, dont realise that you can cancel a cheque easily in North America, which isn't done here.So they may be more inclined to accept a cheque. We knew it could easily be cancelled - and was not easily accepted by our bank either.

I figured if I was holding the house for you, I needed more assurance than a promise that someone would come with cash.

But after seeing the difficulties that people (mostly Americans) had with what should have been easy international transactions, I gave in and took PayPal, which involves a 4% charge.

It was worth it for us, and virtually all our renters were from other countries. But people who deal mainly with Europeans either don't trust, or won't pay the extra for PayPal.

Thank you everyone. Before I had a chance to take your suggestion to offer to pay in cash when I arrive, the B&B came back saying to send the deposit in cash (Euros) by registered mail. I would feel more comfortable sending a check, but it is starting to feel awkward sending so many emails. So I guess I'll chance sending cash.

Since neither of us speaks the other's language, and I am only on my 3rd italian language class , I can only hope that Google Translator is doing it's job. Maybe I'll take the emails in to my class on Tuesday!

I know that this is no help for the OP, but for those in europe but outside the eurozone, the SEPA system of interbank transfers seems to work well. the fees are very low, though the exchange rate needs watching.

Rather than change money to send, ask if you can send your own currency and swap it for euros when you arrive. I can't imagine them saying no to cash of any currency.

I have an apartment reserved in June through AirBnB and the owner has requested, in addition to the prepaid rent, a security deposit of the equivalent of a couple of hundred dollars. He is perfectly happy to have it in $'s or £'s rather than euros, money is money.

"Personally I can't imagine any place that I'd want to stay at so much that I'd risk sending cash in the mail" mztery

In general I agree. I've only done it once myself, the amount was not large and I wouldn't do it for any amount larger than 1 night's lodging.

Regarding the post office, I suspect if you discuss the matter with them they'll tell you not to do it. If you decided to go ahead, as I did, I recommend you keep the information to yourself, treat it like any letter for which you want proof of delivery and leave it at that. It's my understanding that you cannot insure cash.

Insanely risky? All things being relative and taking into account the amount one is willing to lose, I don't think so. Everyone's threshold for possible loss will be different but I think the odds are in favor of the letter arriving safely. Travel, in itself, is probably riskier than staying home so a bit of convenience may be worth a small risk. It's only money.

I recently sent a deposit to UK via MoneyGram -- inexpensive, easy, did my transaction at our local WalMart. The money arrived at the UK pickup point (which was the local post office) in 10 minutes. The B&B owner wasn't familiar with MoneyGram but inquired locally and was pleased with the easy transaction.

I've never used Western Union but very often read about it in warnings re fraud prevention, which say never, ever use it to send money to someone you don't know. I would say the same about cash, bank transfers, and money grams. 99.9% of those you deal with over the internet are honest, but the .1% that isn't is very accomplished at convincing you otherwise.

I agree in principle to not sending cash. But again, having done it successfully once, I'd say never say never and send only what you can lose without going off the deep end. Travellers are, by nature I think, flexible creatures so if sending cash by some sort of registered mail will, on occasion, make a transaction easier for a small amount then I don't see a huge problem. Keeping in mind as you do it that it can go astray. If the thought is just too much to bear then, obviously, taking an informed chance is not for you. You would also probably not turn off on an unpaved road just "to see where it goes."

Now that I think about it the 1 time I sent cash I sent it to the UK by either UPS or Fed Ex in one of their hard envelopes so no way to know there was cash in it. Courier delivered. Certainly less expensive than bank wired funds and no charge to the recipient.

I would think twice about sending cash, even by registered mail, as (I always think the very worst), the owner can deny that she received cash.

By registering a letter you are not insuring the money inside, and I am not even sure whether it is legal in Europe to send cash in envelopes anyway, so it would be at your own risk anyway. Remember that you do not know this person you are sending the cash to, and that is always risky. The person can always deny that you sent cash, even though she or he might admit that they signed for the receipt of a letter. Did you check the charges that Western Union make?

If the owner persists, and you would not find a viable option for transferring the money, I would find other accomodation.

I find it very odd to suggest that I write you a personal check in my own currency, which is basically meaningless. Maybe some European would be so dumb as not to know that isn't any kind of deposit at all, you can just call up the bank and cancel the check whenever you want. I would never accept such a thing as it doesn't mean anything.

I paid a French agency by mail (it doesn't take that long by international priority mail or whatever they call it, less than a week, as I recall, and costs around $15) but they were professional. They asked for a casher's check in my currency (which I got free from my bank as I had a premium account, but it shouldnt' cost that much to make up if you don't) and they told me exactly how much to make it out to based on what I owed for the deposit. They knew the exchange rates and I simply calculated what it was and realized it was a very good rate, no markup at all. So, for example, if the desposit I were required to send were 500 euro, they told me to make out a cashiers check for $665 and mail it to them by US International Priority Mail. Which I did, and they told me by email when they got it, which was less than a week.

Christina: "I find it very odd to suggest that I write you a personal check in my own currency, which is basically meaningless. Maybe some European would be so dumb as not to know that isn't any kind of deposit at all, you can just call up the bank and cancel the check whenever you want. I would never accept such a thing as it doesn't mean anything."

Of course it isn't 'secure', but it does give the owner some feeling that one is serious about the booking. And while you may not see the purpose . . . the first three times I did it (over several years), it was not my idea but at the suggestion of the the owners/landlords.

I've probably done this 5 or 6 times altogether (and did it again just last week since a B&B I'm using for a few days in May in very rural Scotland doesn't take cards)

Well, now that I've sent money via MoneyGram I learn that it's risky. And I'll have to send the balance 30 days before arrival. Can anyone suggest how to (maybe) determine if I'm dealing with a reputable owner? The website is listed on several tourist information sites and I did a "search people" look online and found the name, address and telephone number as listed on their website. The owner emailed me after picking up her deposit and everything looks in order. Comments? (You don't have to say I'm stupid -- I concede).

I have actually made a couple of deposits of US dollar checks into my French bank with no hassle at all. I of course paid a fee to do so - more than I would have paid had it been a check in euros - but it's entirely possible. I can't remember what the circumstances were, but I did it at least twice.

I'm NOT recommending this to the OP...just saying it absolutely can be done.

FYI - I have sent Euros registered, INSURED, mail ---- and will no doubt find out in a few weeks weather this worked. Needs a signature, so we'll see if I get the receipt back saying the cash made it to the righ person.
It's all a learning experience!